• US president to hold off attacks till Iranian leadership comes up with ‘unified proposal’, blockade to continue
• Tehran refused to join Islamabad talks over ‘US coercive actions’; top diplomat terms ports blockade ‘act of war’
• Naval blockade, nuclear commitments emerge as main hurdles to high-stakes talks
• FM Dar meets US envoy, speaks to Saudi and Chinese counterparts; foreign secretary meets Iranian envoy

ISLAMABAD: Only a few hours before the expiry of the two-week ceasefire, US President Donald Trump extended the agreement on Pakistan’s request to give Iran more time for negotiations while refusing to lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The statement posted on his social media account came as Iran refused to join the second round of talks in Islamabad under an active maritime blockade and interdictions, while Washington asserted that pressure would not be eased without commitments on nuclear enrichment issues, and guarantees on the Strait of Hormuz.

As he announced the extension, President Trump said the Iranian government was “seriously fractured” and he was acting at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir to hold off attacks until Iranian leaders and representatives could come up with a “unified proposal”.

“I have therefore directed our military to continue the blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he said.

Leading up to the extension, Pakistan spent the day reaching out to both parties to keep the peace process on track, as both sides appeared rigid in their stance. As Pakistan awaited a formal confirmation from Iran to join the talks, US Vice President JD Vance, who was supposed to depart for Islamabad, also postponed his visit. The US media reported that his trip had been put on hold due to Iranian reluctance to join the talks.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Information Min­ister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan was continuing efforts to keep the process on track ahead of the ceasefire expiry. He said Pakistan was in “constant touch” with Tehran and “pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue”, adding that the ceasefire was set to end at 4:50am (Pakistan time) on April 22 and a decision by Iran to attend the talks was “critical” before the expiry of the deadline.

“Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks and these efforts continue,” he recalled. The statement came after Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam met Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, where the Pakistani side pressed for Tehran’s participation.

‘Act of war’

Meanwhile, Iran cited violations of the ceasefire and coercive American actions for its reluctance to participate in the Islamabad talks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said a final decision had not yet been made, attributing the delay to the US actions. He made the remarks after Mr Tarar’s statement.

“A definitive decision to participate or not in Pakistan’s talks has not yet been made,” he said. “The reason for this is not indecision; it is the contradictory messages, contradictory behaviours, and unacceptable actions of the American side,” he said.

At the centre of the deadlock was the US maritime blockade and a series of interdictions targeting vessels linked to Iran, which Tehran viewed as a violation of the ceasefire spirit and an attempt to make Iran negotiate under coercion. In the past 72 hours, US forces intercepted and seized two vessels in the broader Indian Ocean and Gulf region on the pretext of enforcement of sanctions and maritime restrictions.

Iranian officials made clear that negotiations under such conditions would be unacceptable, linking any participation to a minimum easing of pressure. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said blockading Iranian ports was an “act of war, and thus a violation of the ceasefire” with the US. “Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” he added in a post on X.

Dual track approach

Before it agreed to extend the truce, the US maintained a dual-track approach. While signalling readiness for talks, it kept military and economic pressure intact. President Donald Trump repeatedly said Washington was “ready to go” back to confrontation if an agreement was not reached, while also expressing optimism about prospects for negotiations. According to diplomatic sources, a debate was going on within the Trump administration on whether to maintain maximum pressure or advance a negotiated outcome.

Dar calls on US envoy

Despite the rigid positions by both sides, diplomatic engagement continued through multiple channels led by Pakistan. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker in the evening and urged both sides to sustain engagement.

Mr Dar underscored Pakistan’s consistent emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable means to addressing challenges and achieving lasting regional peace and stability, according to a Foreign Office statement.

The foreign minister “stressed the need for engagement between the United States and Iran, urged both sides to consider extending the ceasefire, and to give dialogue and diplomacy a chance”.

Mr Dar also spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, with both sides emphasising the importance of dialogue, while Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on him to convey Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts.

With input from Agencies

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2026